Binocular



M m? TB N W W Y mm 1w N June 1, 1943. 5. J. BAILEY BINOCULARS Original Filed Feb. 9, 1940 Patented June 1, 1943 BINOCU'LAR Stanley J. Bailey, Snyder, N. Y., assignor to Spencer Lens Company, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application February 9, 1940, Serial No. 318,128. Divided and this application June 19,

1941, Serial No. 398,729

6 Claims.

This invention relates to binoculars or the like and more particularly to a new and improved eyepiece for binoculars which will prevent the entrance of dust or moisture into the casings.

This application is a division of my application filed February 9, 1940, Serial No. 318,128.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved eyepiece for binoculars and an improved means and method for connecting the parts of said eyepiece.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means and method of constructing a focusing eyepiece for a binocular which will prevent the entrance of dust and moisture into the casing through the eyepiece.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved focusing eyepiece for a bi nocular or the like which will allow the parts to be adjusted relative to each other to focus the eyepiece and yet prevent the entrance of dirt and moisture into the body between said adjustable parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and it will be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I theerfore do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described as the preferred form has been shown by Way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a pair of binoculars embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In prior art binocular and other constructions embodying focusing eyepiece, trouble has been caused by dust or moisture seeping between the moving parts-of the eyepieces into the casings. This duct and/or moisture would then gather on the surfaces of the lens elements in the casings and corrosion and reduced vision through the lens elements were caused thereby.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved arrangement for constructing the focusing eyepieces of a binocular or the like wherein the parts may be easily and economically assembled and wherein the entrance of moisture or dust into the easings is prevented.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the device embodying the invention comprises a pair of casings I and 2 each containing the prisms 3 and 4 and having the objectives 5 at the front ends thereof.

The casings I and 2 each have secured thereto an eyepiece 6 containing the lens elements I and are each adapted to be secured on the casings I and 2 in-alignment with one of theprisms 4 to allow light to be reflected by said prism 4 through said eyepiece into the eye of an observer.

The casings I and 2 are pivotally secured together to allow the casings to be adjusted, that is, the distance between the casings changed so that the eyepieces are spaced apart to the proper pupillary distance to meet the requirements of the particular user and also this adjustment may be quickly and easily varied to meet the requirements of other users to allow the binoculars to be used by other users. To allow this adjustment the casings I and 2 are pivotally connected by means of the hinge member 8.

The eyepiecespfi as shown .in section in Fig. 2 each comprise the eye cup member 9 adapted to engage the face around the eye of the user of the binoculars and the telescoping tubular members I0 and II. The tubular member II] has the circumferential flange I2 adapted to engage the outer edge of the casing I surrounding the opening therethrough and the extension I3 on the member ID is adapted to extend into the casing and has the threaded portion which threadedly,

engages the threaded bore on the annular supporting block M which is secured to the inner wall of the casing I adjacent the said opening.

The lenses I are retained in fixed relation in the tube II. To focus the eyepiece for the particular user the tube II is moved in or out to change the relative position of the lenses I with respectto the prism 4. This movement of the lenses 1 as a unit is effected by rotating the Wheel or sprocket 20 which moves the arms I5 back and forth depending on thedirection of rotation of said wheel 20. The arms I5 are each threadedly connected to a tubular member I6 which is in turn connected to the tubular member II containing the lenses I so that movement of the arm I5 back or forth simultaneously causes similar movement of the tube I I.

It has been found that in the past, movement of the parts as stated above to move the tubular member II containing the lenses I to the proper focus will cause the entrance of moisture and dust into the casing through the space between the tubular members. It will be seen that these parts must; be fitted together loosely enoughso that they can be moved relative to each other without binding, and this looseness may allow the entrance of moisture and/ or dust into the interior of the casing.

To prevent the entrance of such moisture or dust, I have provided the bellows arrangement II.

This bellows arrangement Il may be formed of end or the member II away from the end of the member I3 and will then told when said members are moved nearer to each other. In other words, the bellows will expand or fold according to the direction in which the member II is adjusted relative to the member I II.

It is pointed out that while the bellows arrangement has been shown applied to a center focusing structure that it is equally applicable to a construction employing an independent locusing arrangement for the individual eyepieces.

It is also pointed out that with this construction the interior of the casing may be filled with nitrogen or desiccated air to prevent fogging of the prisms and lenses in sudden temperature changes and the loss oi said nitrogen or desiccated air through the space between the tubes II and II will be prevented by the bellows arrangement described herein as will also the entrance of dust and air be prevented, and therefore nocorrosion or damage can occur to the surfaces of the lenses in the casing and thereby l have overcome the disadvantages found in such constructions in the prior art.

Due to the fact that the ends of the bellows are secured to-the ends of the tubes II and I3 respectively, the eyepiece may be easily and quickly removed from or secured to its connection with the casing as a unit without the necessity of making any special connections between said eyepiece and the said casing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have .provided simple, efllcient and economical means for accomplishing all of the objects of the present invention and overcoming the disadvantages of prior art types of binoculars, whereby the focusing eyepieces of binoculars may be so formed as to prevent the entrance of dust or moisture into the interior of the casing through the focusing arrangement of the eyepiece.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, for use with a casing supporting optical elements and having an opening, an eyepiece adapted to be secured to said casing in alignment with said opening, said eyepiece having a stationary member adapted to be secured to said casing adjacent said opening to retain said eyepiece in alignment with said opening and a movable'member sup-' porting optical elements in optical alignment with the optical elements in the casing and adapted to be adjusted relative to said optical elements in the casing by adjustment of said movable member relative to said stationary member and an extensible collapsible shieldmember secured adjacent one end of said shield member to said stationary member and adjacent the opposite end of said shield member to said movable member and said shield member being provided for preventing the entranceoi' dust and moisture between the stationary and extensible members and into the interior of said casing through the said eyepiece.

2. An eyepiece for use in a binocular or the like, said eyepiece having a tubular member adapted to be secured to said casing to retain said eyepiece on said casing and a second tubular member in telescopingrelation with said first tubular member and supporting optical elements and a shield member of collapsible materials!!- cured adjacent one end to said first tubular member adjacent the end of said member and said shield member being secured to said second tubular member adjacent the end thereof and said shield member being provided for preventing the entrance oi dust and moisture between the tubular members and into the interior of the casing through the said eyepiece.

3.'In a device of the character described, a casing having an opening, an eyepiece secured to said casing in alignment with said opening, said eyepiece having a tubular member secured to said casing adjacent said opening to retain said eyepiece in alignment with said opening and a second tubular memberin telescoping relation with said first tubular member and a collapsible shield member secured adjacent one end thereof adjacent the end of said first tubular member and adjacent its opposite end adjacent the end of said second tubular member and said shield member being provided for preventing the entrance of dust and moisture betweenethe tubular members and into the interior oi the casing through said eyepiece.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing having an opening, an eyepiece adapted to be secured to said casing in alignment with said opening, said eyepiece having a stationary member adapted to be secured to said casing adjacent said opening, a movable member adapted to be adjusted relative to said stationary member and a bellows member secured adjacent one end to said stationary member and adjacent its opposite end to said movable member and adapted to prevent the entrance of dust and moisture into the casing through the said eyepiece.

5. An eyepiece for use in a binocular or the like, said eyepiece having a stationary member adapted to be secured to said casing and a movable member adapted to be adjusted relative to said stationary member and a bellows member secured adjacent one end to said stationary member and adjacent its opposite end to said movable member and adapted to prevent the entrance of dust and moisture into the casing through the said eyepiece.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing having an opening, an eyepiece secured to said casing in alignment with said opening, said eyepiece having a stationary member secured to said casing adjacent said opening to retain said eyepiece in alignment with said opening, a movable member in telescoping relation with and adjustable relative to said stationary member and a bellows member secured adjacent one end thereof adjacent the end of said stationary member and adjacent its opposite end adjacent the end of said movable member and adapted to prevent the entrance of dust and moisture into the casing through said eyepiece.

STANLEY ,J. BAILEY. 

